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Research and DevelopmentFor Nuclear Production of Hydrogen in Japan

OECD/NEA Third Information Exchange Meeting on the Nuclear Production of Hydrogen

October 5, 2005, Oarai, Japan

Masao HoriNuclear Systems Association, Japan

Shusaku ShiozawaJapan Atomic Energy Research Institute

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Synopsis of Presentation

1. Hydrogen Energy in Japan

– R&D Plan

– Hydrogen Energy Introduction Scenarios

– Role of Nuclear Energy for Hydrogen Production

2. Nuclear Hydrogen in Japan

– Outline of R&D Works

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Hydrogen as the Major Energy Carrier

• Presently, 42 % of the primary energy is used to generate electricity in Japan.

• In the middle of century, the ratio to be used for electricity generation is forecasted to increase to more than 50 % of total primary energy.

• Hydrogen is considered to be the most promising energy carrier for the non-electric purposes, which will use the remaining half of primary energy, because of its cleanliness and efficiency during conversion to power.

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Hydrogen Energy R&D Projects in Japan

• 1993 ~ 2002‘WE-NET’ hydrogen energy R&D project

• 2003 ~ 2007‘Hydrogen Infra-Technology Program’

• Both supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI, former MITI).

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Introduction Scenarios of Fuel Cells

• The scenarios on introduction of fuel cells issued from the ANRE (Advisory Panel of Agency for Natural Resource and Energy) of METI in 2004

1. Fuel cell vehicles (FCV)

2. Stationary fuel cells

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2005 2010 2020 2030Initial stage of introduction

Deploymentstage

Marketexpansion

stage

Kind of FCV introduced

Areas

Target of FCV introduced 5×104

Estimated H2Demand

Estimated number of stations

～500 ～3,500 ～8,500

Gov. and local gov. FCVs for official use , Buses

Light-duty fleet trucks, Passenger cars for business use

Passenger cars

5×106 15×106

FC-BUS

FCV

Scenario of FCV Introduction （ANRE Advisory Panel , March 2004 , Supporting data provided by IAE）

430×106m3N 6.5×109m3N 17×109m3N

3 Metropolitan areas,Major industrial areas

Major large cities andsurrounding areas

All areas throughout

Japan

K. Fukuda, COE-INES THEN Workshop (2004)

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2005 2010 2020 2030Initial stage of

introductionDeployment

stage

MarketExpansion

stage

FC types supporsed

to be introduced

2.2GW 10GW 12.5GW *

PEFC

Targetcapacity

to be introduced

FC FCFC

SOFC Combined

Scenario of Stationary FC Introduction （ANRE Advisory Panel , March 2004 , Supporting data provided by IAE）

SOFC

*PEFC (approximately 10.5GW) + SOFC (approximately 2GW) K. Fukuda, COE-INES THEN Workshop (2004)

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Role of Nuclear Energy

• When producing hydrogen, as well as electricity, nuclear energy has the merits of sustainable bulk supply capability, advantageous environmental effects for minimizing carbon dioxide emissions, and high energy density leading to energy security.

• Nuclear energy will surely play an important role in Japan for the sustainable energy supply by producing hydrogen as well as generating electricity.

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Nuclear Hydrogen Expected in Government Plan

• The measures toward ‘Hydrogen Energy Society’are described in the ‘Basic Energy Plan’ which was issued in 2003 based on the ‘2002 Basic Energy Policy Bill’.

• In this plan, ‘nuclear hydrogen production’ is expected as a process which suppresses CO2emission to the utmost and is independent from fossil fuels expenditure.

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Fossil Fuels Nuclear Energy

Primary Energy

Secondary Energy

Hydrogen Electricity

Med. & HighTurbine

Generator

High TempWater

Electrolysis

High TempWater

Thermo-chemical

Med. & HighHydrocarbon

SteamReforming

Electrolysis

Fuel Cell

Methods for Hydrogen Production by Nuclear Energy

Water

Water

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0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

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1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

Energy[Exa Joule]

District HeatingSolar Heat, etc

Final Energy Estimate in Japan by JAIF 2050 Nuclear Vision

Coal

Electricity

Petroleum Product

City Gas

Hydrogen31 %

11 %

2 %2 %

25 %

23 %

Compositionin 2050

6 %

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JAIF Estimate in the 2050 Nuclear Vision

• Nuclear energy will supply 33 % of primary energy in 2050, as compared to 13 % of that in 2000 in Japan.

• Hydrogen energy in the final energy would be 11 % in 2050 in Japan. About 2/3 of that hydrogen will be supplied by nuclear hydrogen.

• The nuclear hydrogen supplied will be produced by the nuclear-heated steam methane reforming, because of its lowest production cost.

• The ‘zero-CO2 emission’ thermochemical process using nuclear heat will have sufficient possibilities to be adopted, if it becomes cost-competitive either by technical progress of the process development or by price rise of natural gas.

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Production method Raw materials Types of Energy Used For Producing Hydrogen

Types of Nuclear Reactor (Typical)

Organization working on

related subjects

Electrolysis of water Water Electricity LWR CRIEPI

Hitachi High temp. electrolysis

of steam Water

Electricity + Heat (High temp.) or + Heat (Medium temp.)

VHTR SFR, SCWR Toshiba

Thermochemical splitting of water

Water Heat (High temp.) VHTR JAERI

Thermochemical splitting

of water [Hybrid] Water

Heat (High temp.) or Heat (Medium temp)

+ Electricity VHTR

SFR, SCWRCRIEPI

JNC

Steam reforming of methane

Natural gas + Water Heat (High temp.) VHTR JAERI

Steam reforming of methane

Natural gas + Water

Heat (Medium temp.) [Membrane or sorption enhanced reaction]] SFR, SCWR

MHI-ARTEC- TGC-NSA

Tokyo Tech Steam reforming

of methane [On-board, sorption

enhanced]

Synthesized Methane + water

Heat (High temp) [Regeneration of absorber]

[Recycling of carbon] VHTR Tokyo Tech

Steam reforming of DME

Dimethyl ether + Water Heat (Low temp.) LWR Toshiba

Radiocatalysis of water Water Gamma ray Spent fuels CRIEPI

Nuclear Hydrogen Research and Development Works in Japan

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JAERI (JAEA)

• JAERI has been conducting the HTTR project aiming to establish HTGR technology and the heat utilization technology.

• R&D on the following subjects has been carried out

1. HTGR technology using the HTTR

2. System integration technology for connecting hydrogen production processes to HTGR

3. Thermochemical IS process for hydrogen production

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Overview and History of HTTR

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Development Stages of IS Process

High pressure(up to 3MPa)

High pressure(up to 3MPa)

Atmospheric pressure

Pressure of chemical process

FY 2009 – 2014(under planning)

FY 2005 – 2010(under planning)

FY 1999 - 2004Time

Heat exchangerwith helium gas(Nuclear heat

10MW)

Heat exchangerwith helium gas

(Electrical heater0.4MW)

Electrical heaterHeat supply

Industrial materialIndustrial material

(SiC, coated) GlassMaterial of

chemical reactors

～1000 m3/h～30 m3/h～ 0.05 m3/hHydrogen production rate

HTTR Test nuclear demonstrationPilot TestBench-scaled Test

High pressure(up to 3MPa)

High pressure(up to 3MPa)

Atmospheric pressure

Pressure of chemical process

FY 2009 – 2014(under planning)

FY 2005 – 2010(under planning)

FY 1999 - 2004Time

Heat exchangerwith helium gas(Nuclear heat

10MW)

Heat exchangerwith helium gas

(Electrical heater0.4MW)

Electrical heaterHeat supply

Industrial materialIndustrial material

(SiC, coated) GlassMaterial of

chemical reactors

～1000 m3/h～30 m3/h～ 0.05 m3/hHydrogen production rate

HTTR Test nuclear demonstrationPilot TestBench-scaled Test

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Overview of HTTR Hydrogen Production System

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JAERI’s Plan for Development of HTGR Hydrogen Production Technology

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Production methodRaw

materials

Types of Energy Used

For Producing Hydrogen

Types ofNuclear Reactor (Typical)

Organization working on

related subjects

Electrolysisof water Water Electricity LWR CRIEPI

Hitachi

High temp. electrolysis

of steamWater

Electricity+ Heat (High temp.)

or+ Heat (Medium

temp.)

VHTRSFR, SCWR Toshiba

Thermochemical splittingof water

Water Heat (High temp.) VHTR JAERI

Thermochemical splitting

of water [Hybrid]Water

Heat (High temp.) orHeat(Medium temp)

+ Electricity

VHTRSFR, SCWR

CRIEPIJNC

Nuclear Hydrogen Research and Development Works in Japan (1)

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Production method

Raw materials

Types of Energy Used

For Producing Hydrogen

Types of Nuclear Reactor (Typical)

Organization working on

related subjects

Steam reforming of methane

Natural gas + Water Heat (High temp.) VHTR JAERI

Steam reforming of methane

Natural gas + Water

Heat(Medium temp.) [Membrane or

sorption enhanced reaction]]

SFR, SCWR

MHI-ARTEC- TGC-NSA

Tokyo Tech

Steam reforming of methane [On-board,

sorption enhanced]

Synthesized Methane + water

Heat (High temp) [Regeneration of

absorber] [Recycling of

carbon]

VHTR Tokyo Tech

Steam reforming of DME

Dimethyl ether

+ Water Heat (Low temp.) LWR Toshiba

Radiocatalysis of water Water Gamma ray Spent

fuels CRIEPI

Nuclear Hydrogen Research and Development Works in Japan (2)

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Nuclear Hydrogen Research Forum

• Nuclear Hydrogen Research Forum, established in 2001 in Japan.

• 50 members from 35 organizations (As of Sept. 2005)– electric & gas utilities, nuclear plant design & manufacture,

petroleum, iron making, chemical engineering, automobile, construction, merchandising, research institutes, and universities

• Research meetings every 1.5 months for information exchange and discussion

• Publication of review report (in Japanese) covering key issues on nuclear production of hydrogen (2002)

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1. [Development] Advancement of the IS process.

• Bulk chemical processes benefit from economy of scale for a mature global hydrogen economy. Thermochemical water splitting processes emit no CO2 and have the potential of high conversion efficiency, so it will be the ultimate method of nuclear hydrogen production.

• Among thermochemical processes, the IS processis now considered the most promising and pursued as the mainstream of R&D internationally.

Future Nuclear Hydrogen R&D&D (1)

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2. [Research] Promotion of broad-ranging, exploratory R&Ds for nuclear hydrogen supply which could meet the requirement of market on scale, timing, cost, resource, environment, etc.

3. [Deployment, along the way] Supply of any available nuclear hydrogen in response to market demands

• Distributed (nuclear) electrolysis for a small scale demand

• Centralized nuclear electrolysis for a medium scale demand

• Nuclear-heated steam reforming of natural gas for a large scale demand

Future Nuclear Hydrogen R&D&D (2)

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Thank you

For your attention.

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1.5

2

2.5

1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5

天然ガス改質（核熱）

天然ガス改質（自燃）

熱化学法＋電解

Yen/MJ

Price Level of Natural Gas (Price in Year 2000 = 1.0)

Hydrogen Production C

ost

Natural Gas ReformingBy Self Combustion

Natural Gas ReformingBy Nuclear Heat

Thermochemical+ Electrolysis

JAIF 2050 Nuclear Vision

Hydrogen Production Cost vs. Natural Gas PriceFor Thermochemical and Natural Gas Reforming

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JNC (JAEA)

• Thermochemical and electrolytic hybrid hydrogen production system in the medium temperature range has been developed to achieve the hydrogen production from water by using the heat from a sodium cooled fast reactor (SFR).

• Hydrogen production plant with this thermochemical and electrolytic hybrid cycle has been designed and the hydrogen production efficiency has been evaluated.

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Tokyo Institute of Technology

1. A new hydrogen carrier system for fuel cell vehicles, using on-board steam-methane reforming with calcium oxide for hydrogen production and regenerating / recycling of the reaction products by nuclear energy thus enabling zero CO2 emission from the system, is being developed.

2. A conceptual design study was conducted on a long-life multipurpose small-size fast reactor with a medium-temperature hydrogen production system using the sorption-enhanced steam-methane reforming reaction.

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Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industries

1. A feasibility study on hydrogen production by PEM electrolysis with off-peak electricity was conducted in Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industries (CRIEPI) to evaluate the effect of availability and electric power transmission.

2. Development of anode materials in the sulfur-based hybrid cycle (SHC) using high temperature gas-cooled reactors has been conducted.

3. Development of water splitting by radiocatalysis (RISA phenomenon) has been conducted. Gamma ray from spent fuels could be used as the energy source.

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Toshiba Corporation

1. R&D on hydrogen production method by nuclear-heated steam reforming of DME (dimethyl ether, CH3OCH3) for possible utilization of lower temperature nuclear heat from LWR, SCWR and SFR

2. R&D on high temperature steam electrolysis for electrolytic hydrogen production using nuclear energy

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Mitsubishi Heavy Industrieswith ARTEC, TGC and NSA

• Conceptual design study of ‘FR-MR’, which combines sodium cooled fast reactors (FR) with the membrane reforming (MR) of natural gas at temperature around 550 degree Celsius (MHI, ARTEC, TGC and NSA)

• Demonstration of membrane reformer by continuous operation of 40 Nm3/h plant at a hydrogen fueling station for FCV in downtown Tokyo in 2004-2005 (TGC)

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Hitachi Ltd.

• Assessment of total hydrogen production cost for a centralized electrolysis

– Total hydrogen production cost = Production cost + delivery cost + station cost.

– Centralized electrolysis = Collocated nuclear power station and electrolysis plant off site of hydrogen demand

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Fuji Electric Systems

• Development of the VHTR system with General Atomics (GA) based on the MHR

• Study of potential modifications to the thermal hydraulic design of MHR core in order to produce helium at temperature up to 1000 degree Celsius